Various loading devices are known for grasping and moving large objects such as logs, poles and beams. One of the needs which frequently arises in such moving or loading operations is to be able to quickly and accurately determine the weight of the particular load of material being moved at one time and/or the cumulative weight of a plurality of such loads that are being placed on a particular vehicle. It is known to provide scales on a vehicle to which the load is being transferred so that the weight of the vehicle can be determined both before and after loading. Such scales are however costly and bothersome to use. It is also known to employ various weight measuring devices on the loading mechanism itself to permit measurement of the weight of the load during the loading operation, however such weighing mechanisms have required substantial modification of the loading device. Further, it is not always necessary or desirable to perform weighing operations during loading and in these instances devices of the prior art have proven difficult and time consuming to remove. Previous weighing devices which have been present on the loading mechanism have also not been readily adapted to differing requirements which are reflective of the size and shape of the load being moved and have not permitted easy modification or adaptability to such variations in the configuration of the load.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for quickly and easily determining the weight both cumulatively and individually of loads being transferred by a loading mechanism. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for determining such weight that can readily be adapted to various configurations of loaders with little or no modification or expense and which can quickly be removed in instances where it is not needed.
These and other objectives are realized in accordance with the present invention as described herein.